


Wish You Were Here

by lapisdot



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst at points, F/F, Fluff, Happy, Past jaspis, Very fluffy, families!, lapidot - Freeform, vacation/holiday, will add more tags as it goes on!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-27
Updated: 2018-11-18
Packaged: 2019-08-02 14:45:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,319
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16307174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lapisdot/pseuds/lapisdot
Summary: Peridot Greene, on her annual cruise trip with her family, expects nothing more than the usual while she's away - kids movies, sitting bored on her phone as she uses up her mobile data and a whole lot of family time when she'd rather be sat on her PlayStation at home. That quickly changes when Lapis Lazuli, a quirky and undeniably beautiful underrated dancer and kids entertainer enters her life and makes her wish she could stay there forever.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> heey guys! Wow am I really starting another chaptered fic when I have like 100000000 which are unfinished?  
> yes that's right  
> This is loosely based off Dirty Dancing because I went to see it in theatre the other day and it's been in my mind ever since but it's not the same thing dw  
> <3enjoy I actually have plans to finish this but we'll see

It felt like Peridot had quite _literally_ been stood in the boarding queue for five years. Alright, she realised maybe that was a bit of an exaggeration. But she was certain almost anyone who had to endure children laughing, screaming and throwing unidentifiable objects for any longer than 15 minutes would agree with her hyperbole - it was _exhausting_. It was her own fault for not fighting back like a usual teenager when her parents announced they were going on a 2-week family cruise to Hawaii.  Peridot mindlessly scrolled on her phone, looking at dumb memes and even, occasionally, letting out a nasal chuckle. Her parents droned on about what they'd be doing, where they'd be visiting, and even just the thought, or sound, of their activities, seemed far too exhausting and too much to fit in a 2-month vacation, nevermind a 2 week one. After another 10 or so minutes of even more, if that was possible, shouting and loud noise from kids, - including her sister - the boarding line moved, _at last._

"Peri, are you excited?" Peridot's mom chirped, way too chipper for so early in the morning. 

"No, she's heartbroken. How will she live without her consoles for more than 48 hours?!" Her dad mocked, clutching his chest melodramatically and doing his best 'teen girl' impression. 

"Wow," Peridot replied shortly. It was too early for her brain to come up with some witty answer in response, but her dad's answer pretty much summarised how she felt. She _would_ probably spontaneously combust after more than 2 days without her games.

"It'll do you some good, pumpkin. You're too pale from sitting indoors all the time and playing your games. You could get a tan, and maybe discover you don't need your technology to have a good time and make some memories." She smiled. Most teenagers would roll their eyes at this, and Peridot _really_ did want to, but she admired her mom's cheery outlook on life. _Sometimes_. However, she really didn't appreciate the childhood nickname that somehow stuck, as much as Peridot really wished it hadn't.

"I think my skin is actually incapable of turning any colour except pasty white, so I-" Peridot remarked before she was interrupted.

"Next, please." An old-looking woman called out, beckoning Peridot's family towards her. Peridot's sister, Aquamarine, yawned tiredly and clung onto her mom's hand, asking to be carried repeatedly. Peridot secretly wished she was still small enough to be carried - her legs were currently failing her due to the fact she literally had about 2 hours sleep at most, and she needed at least 4 and a half to function as an actual human being. She couldn't wait to sleep when they got onto the ship.

"Peri, give her your passport." Peridot's dad said, rubbing his eyes as he handed over his and Aquamarine's since Peridot's hearing was also failing her. He was wearing his usual outfit, a plaid flannel shirt along with plain black trousers. Nobody except Peridot's mom and Aquamarine were dressed appropriately - Peridot wore her green hoodie and black skinny jeans, whereas her mom wore a yellow sundress and black jacket. 

As Peridot handed over her passport, the lady chuckled slightly whilst viewing the photo. 

"Wow, you've changed!" She laughed. Peridot's photo was awful - she had black hair which had been shabbily cut by one of her friends, who was an aspiring hairdresser. Her face was full of pimples, thankfully they'd all disappeared now she was almost 17.

Almost 20 minutes later, they were still stood. In an entirely different line. Peridot's phone battery was already on 25% due to the sheer amount she'd been using it pointlessly while waiting. Thankfully, there were only 3 more families in front of them, and then they'd finally have their room keys where Peridot would be able to pass out before she was inevitably dragged to some kids show against her own will. Fantastic. She glanced around the desk area - it looked luxurious. It wasn't a secret Peridot's family were quite wealthy, not wealthy enough to own ten Ferraris or anything, but wealthy enough to go to places, stay comfortably and overall have a good standard of living. Peridot was contemplating her options, whether to escape and pretend she never even existed and her parents were just delusional, or to actually attend the crappy and rather loud 'entertaining' events, before something caught her eye which stood out from the somewhat bland atmosphere. Blue.

A pretty, slim girl with vibrant blue hair and huge brown eyes caught Peridot's eye. She was undeniably beautiful. Peridot had to stop herself from staring because she remembered that it's not entirely normal to just stare at a random girl, especially if you've never spoken to the once. She was chatting to an old couple, dressed in the classy uniform given to staff, laughing politely - a melodic tune, sounding like bells ringing before she was pulled to the side by, presumably, another worker. The worker looked tough and undoubtedly buff. The blonde buff girl's grip was so tight on the smaller girl's upper arm that white fingerprint marks were still visible for a while longer. Peridot quickly broke her gaze when the tough girl caught her eye, a scowl painted on her face, which was slightly muscular also. When Peridot glanced over again, the bluenette was almost quivering beneath the larger woman. Despite Peridot not being able to hear, she guessed the conversation was not entirely pleasant. She felt bad for the pretty girl, even though she'd only really judged her on her looks, and not her personality. For all she knew, she could just be another pretty girl with the personality of actual dog crap. However, something in Peridot made her assume she was as pretty inside, as she was on the outside. Before she knew it, the girl with the blue hair was making her way away from the intimidating girl, and towards Peridot and her family.

"Sorry for the wait," the girl smiled, but Peridot noticed it was probably fake, but again, she probably only thought that as she witnessed the event which happened moments ago, which was likely to sour anyone's mood. 

"No worries. We were just looking for our room keys?" Peridot's dad spoke kindly.

"Oh, yeah, of course! I'll go grab them now for you," she said softly, before quickly walking away to speak to a pale, thin girl with strawberry blonde hair, who stood tall with some sort of importance - Peridot wasn't actually sure if that importance was actually legit, or if the girl just liked herself a little too much.

"Mom?" Aquamarine spoke tiredly - she'd been so excited to go on the cruise that she'd actually had about an hour's sleep at most, much to her parents' and sister's distaste.

"Yeah, sweetie? We'll have our key in a second," their mom spoke, unsurprisingly not commenting on the crowdedness, or the somewhat slow service.

"No... that girl, she was really pretty. I liked her hair," she spoke bashfully, pointing towards the girl.

"I think your sister agrees with you, Aqua." their dad laughed, commenting on Peridot's quite obvious stare, causing a soft blush to appear on his daughter's face.

The bluenette arrived back towards the family, holding two room keys in her hands. God, even her hands were pretty.

"Here you go, it's 201 and 202. We're set to depart at around 10 am, and we have some afternoon games on for kids, and at 8 pm I'm going to be teaching a dance class if you're interested." The girl smiled sweetly, briefly catching Peridot's eye. "Oh, and my name's Lapis!" 

"Thank you very much, Lapis." Peridot's mom said, before directing her kids and husband towards a staircase leading to the hallway where their room was located.

Peridot was more than interested in Lapis.

 

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peridot learns that Lapis is just as beautiful as she thought, and an amazing dancer. Peridot is busy being awkward as usual.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEY i had to research dance moves to write this LOL  
> jasper is a meanie rn but i promise she might get nicer as it goes on who knows idk  
> as some of u may know im from england not america so i have no idea how long it takes to get to hawaii from different states  
> i found a website which said 'A 14 or 15 day cruise, return from California, will give you 4 (or 5 max) days on Hawaii and 8 sea days (4 each way).' and since i decided it's 14 days then we are going to be using this but if it's inaccurate please don't shout at me  
> so they'll be on the ship for 4 days, then 5 days in hawaii, then 4 days back which is only 13 but oh well  
> yes anyway enjoy!!!<3

Peridot had finished showering a little before 6:30, despite her family leaving for dinner at 6. This was a common occurrence, Peridot had probably been early or on time to things once or twice in her life - she just blamed it on her aesthetic. Thankfully, it was a buffet, so she would be able to grab whatever she liked, and whenever, provided that her parents hadn't left to go watch some show. Peridot couldn't deny she was looking forward to the shows tonight, the staff onboard seemed really entertaining, despite most things being aimed towards children. She was definitely looking forward to Lapis', even though her dad reminded her the class would probably be for old couples and young kids like her sister. She couldn't seem to mind, though. Her phone was fully charged, meaning she'd be likely to get through the night without actually passing out. She threw on some black skinny jeans and a green flannel, similar to the one her dad wore earlier, knowing that as soon as she arrived downstairs she'd feel terribly underdressed. It was probably the fanciest outfit she'd packed - all the others were just different variations of the outfit she wore earlier: jeans, hoodies and flannels. She picked up her phone, grabbed her wallet in case she needed anything from the store onboard, since she'd been forced to pack herself and had forgotten just about _everything_ , and headed downstairs, making sure to grab her room key. She didn't really feel like having to wait at reception for some angry-looking middle-aged woman to grab her tenth key since she'd managed to lose all the others. The atmosphere outside was usual, noises, presumably from children or arguing families, but something just seemed off. It was quite loud, and most families would be dining downstairs before all the food was inevitably eaten, or before all the tables had been taken.

Peridot cursed her inquisitive nature and edged closer to the source of the noise. It was pretty hard to determine where it was coming from, it sounded close like it was next to the hallway, but it wasn't coming from a hotel room. Then she realised - it must be coming from the staff area. Usually, she'd scurry along - she hated any sort of unnecessary confrontation with anyone, never mind any kind of staff, but she heard the voice of someone crying and sounding clearly distressed. Peridot wasn't one to really care about strangers, which she realised was a little bad, but everyone had their own problems - and Peridot had survived so far by just paying attention to her own problems. However, this situation was different. Along with the upset voice, she heard a booming, angry voice - a sign that maybe someone was being hurt. Peridot was taught a lot of things growing up, many that she didn't hold close to her heart, but one was that if someone is in serious trouble, and she could help, that she should. So she ignored all the warning signals in her head and continued towards the 'STAFF ONLY' area. The noise became evidently louder - a sign that it was, in fact, coming from that area. With a sigh, she peered around the corner, seeing the bright blue door propped open by some sort of crate or box. _That's_ why it was so loud.

"Lapis, I told you, you should just quit. Nobody cares about you. You're just an entertainer, and you don't even do that correctly. You dance with prepubescent boys underneath my nose, and you enjoy it because you want to make me jealous. Where were you last night? With that kid, I saw you flirting with? Have you forgotten we're supposed to be together?" a voice snarled, and with closer inspection, Peridot noticed it was that same beefy girl she saw earlier, with Lapis. That blue-haired girl. 

"Jasper, I'm not cheating! I danced with him because that's my job, alright? I'm an entertainer! I teach a dance class! What do you want me to do? Not do my job? I need this money, Jasper. My mom's sick and you know she is. I know I'm just a lousy entertainer, but I enjoy dancing _with everyone_. It's an escape from all the bullshit I've got to put up with every day. I don't need to put up with yours, too," the voice cried, sounding pained.

Peridot felt angry. Somewhere, deep inside of her, she felt an instinct to protect Lapis, despite only having exchanged formalities with her. If it were a movie, Peridot thought, she'd be some cool, tough girl, and she'd hit 'Jasper' in the jaw, scoop Lapis in her arms, take her dancing and then pay her mom's treatment - or whatever she needed. But it wasn't a movie. She was just barely 17, weak, 5'1 on a good day, and unable to do anything but stand and watch. She figured she should probably leave, tell her mom and dad what she saw so that Jasper could get fired or something. As she started to leave, she somehow managed to lose her footing, tripping over herself and letting a loud 'ouch' escape her lips. Good one, Peridot, she thought to herself.

"What the fuck? Hey kid, get out! How long have you been listening?" Jasper spat, running over to where Peridot was laying on the floor, crippled.

"Jasper, shut up," Lapis whispered, walking over to offer a hand out to Peridot.

"She's not meant to be in here! Go back to mommy and daddy, kid." Jasper sighed, glaring at Lapis' offer.

Peridot took Lapis' hand and was pulled up carefully. Lapis was surprisingly strong. She was dressed in pale blue jeans and a flowing blue shirt. Peridot noted that she must like blue.

"Are you okay? Did you get lost?" Lapis said kindly after Peridot was stood back on her feet.

"Uh, yeah. I think I took the wrong direction. I need to go to the restaurant." Peridot mumbled, lying straight through her teeth. What else could she do? Admit she'd been listening to their argument?

"Be careful. Next time she won't be so sweet." the beefy girl scowled. Peridot noticed she was sort of like an angry cat, to which she let out a small chuckle at, causing Jasper's eyes to burn a hole in the back of her head as Lapis swivelled her around to the door. She was thankful for this, as Peridot was close to telling Jasper to leave Lapis alone and stop speaking for her. 

"Just ignore her, I'll take you downstairs," Lapis said as she kicked the box away from the door, causing it to slam, leaving Jasper alone in the dingy staff hallway. Lapis' cheeks were tear-stained, her eyes bloodshot. 

"Are you okay?" Peridot said as Lapis took her hands away from her shoulders. Strangely, she missed the contact. This was weird for her to care so much about a complete stranger. She figured it was just because she was hot. Yeah, that sounded about right, Peridot thought.

"I always am. No worries. Hey, um, can we forget about this? It's super unprofessional and I kind of need to keep this job and the wage I'm at right now currently." Lapis pleaded, her eyes hopeful. Peridot no longer wanted to tell her parents about what happened.

"Yeah. That's fine. What sort of dancing are you doing tonight?" Peridot said, figuring a conversation switch would probably make Lapis feel better.

"Oh, god. I forgot about that. Well, it's ballroom dancing, and since it's mainly old people, I'm too afraid to do anything complicated in case they end up breaking their backs or turning to dust. I'll probably teach some Rumba steps or Cha-Cha. Whatever the people want." Lapis smiled, and Peridot noticed her eyes lit up when she talked about it. Peridot noted that she should definitely ask more questions about dance because she desperately wanted to see that look in her eyes again. Peridot nodded politely, despite not understanding what Lapis had just said to her at all. 

"Sounds cool. I'm kind of a bad dancer though." Peridot said shamefully. She'd never seen Lapis dancing, but she bet that she was amazing."

"Oh, well, I'm not leading the class by myself. I'm leading with another girl called Pearl, so maybe if you give me a shout I'll come to do some extra work with you." Lapis smiled playfully, which made Peridot's heart do that weird flippy thing that whenever she searched on Google it told her she was having a heart attack of some sort. 

It never occurred to Peridot that it was sort of strange that so many people had gem-related names.

"Cool," Peridot said, aware that she'd already used that adjective, but couldn't seem to care. And then, it was bittersweet, because her time with Lapis, for now, had come to a close as she saw that they'd arrived at the restaurant.

"Here you go, I look forward to seeing you tonight...?" Lapis said, and then Peridot realised she didn't even know her name. Peridot felt happy that Lapis was excited to see her, but then she realised it was just a formality. All of this was. Lapis didn't want to spend time with Peridot, it was just her job to be helpful and make sure that the customer would want to visit again. Lapis was presumably dating that Jasper chick.

"Oh! My name is Peridot. Another gem, heh. See you tonight." Peridot said before scurrying off to find her parents in the crowded area. She checked her watch, 6:40 pm - she had around 20 minutes to eat before Aquamarine dragged her to a kiddy show.

"Speak of the devil." Peridot's dad said as Peridot approached their table. Peridot's mom was dressed in a yellow dinner dress with white strappy heels. She was glowing - it was no secret her mom was very pretty. She certainly made pale skin and green eyes look pretty, unlike her eldest daughter. Aquamarine wore a deep blue dress that reminded Peridot of Lapis and had her hair braided prettily. Her dad looked normal, despite the fact he wore a dress shirt and black slacks. Yes, Peridot was very underdressed, but she fit the role of 'rebelling teenager' very well, she thought. 

 "What took you so long?" Peridot's mom complained, but there was no malice or impatience in her tone.

"Just, you know, showering. And getting ready." Peridot said, which wasn't entirely untrue. She just decided to skip the whole Lapis and Jasper fiasco in fear of getting Lapis in trouble. Jasper, she decided, could rot in hell. Or maybe something less severe, Peridot thought. 

 "Well, at least you're here. They're serving desserts in about 10 minutes, so go grab some food before it's all gone." Peridot's mom smiled, pointing towards the food. Peridot hoped it was good, since they were going to be on the ship for a total of 8 days, and she couldn't go 8 days without good food. Thankfully, there was a tiny store which sold junk food, which Peridot would probably frequent quite often.

Peridot grabbed anything she could find that was sugary or fatty. She decided on a burger, chicken nuggets and fries and then two doughnuts for afterwards. Because of her serious addiction to junk food, she'd gained a little bit of chub on her belly, but nothing was worth giving up delicious food, despite the fact it would kill her someday soon.

"Peridot, that's really unhealthy, you know," her mom sighed when she arrived back at the table with her plate full of food.

"Oh well. Lighten up, we're on vacation. As long as she's eating, we're fine." her dad said, wrapping his arm around her mom, which made her smile.

"Hey, Peri?" Aquamarine said, eating fries carefully as she watched her sister devour her food.

"Yeah?" she replied, muffled, due to the amount of food in her mouth.

"Are you going to take me to the dance class tonight? Mommy and daddy are going but I don't have anyone to dance with." Aquamarine pouted. 

"Yeah!" Peridot said after swallowing her food, maybe a little too enthusiastically. Her excitement made her parents chuckle and look at each other knowingly. 

* * *

 

Dinner was finished with at around 7:30, to Peridot's surprise Aqua didn't want to attend any of the entertainment, except for the dance class. The family decided to wait in the space where the class was being held since there were a couple of comfortable chairs and tables in an area close to the bar. Peridot was asked to order drinks, 3 Cokes and an apple juice for her younger sister. The bartender was a girl almost as short as herself, with vibrant purple hair. She was chubby, but her uniform highlighted her curves well. She seemed to be Latina, and her nametag showed her name was 'Amethyst'. Jesus, was everyone named after a gem?

"Hey. What can I get for ya?" The girl, Amethyst, asked as Peridot approached awkwardly.

"Um, 3 Cokes and an apple juice, please," Peridot asked, as the bartender grabbed four glasses and began pouring.

"You waiting for the dance class?" 

"Yeah," Peridot replied, making casual conversation.

"Cool. Lapis and Pearl are awesome dancers, just don't get too close to Pearl. She's mine." Amethyst winked and laughed, causing Peridot to chuckle.

"I won't. Is Lapis a real dance teacher? I met her earlier and she just told me she was a kid's entertainer." 

"Nah. Pearl is, but Lapis is really talented so she begged Pearl to let her teach too, and so they teach together," Amethyst said, placing the glasses down for Peridot to collect.

"That'll be 4 dollars." Amethyst said as Peridot showed her 'all inclusive' band.

"Awesome," Peridot said, holding two glasses and placing them on her parents' table, before going back for the other two.

"See ya." Amethyst waved.

* * *

 

"Okay, everyone! My name is Pearl and I'll be your dance instructor for tonight. Lapis and I are going to teach you some basic moves, so you can dance with your special someone or your family, or even someone new! If we see you struggling we'll come help." Pearl smiled confidently.  "I remind you that no violence will be accepted, the bar is open and if you are intoxicated we have the right to ask anyone to leave the class," Pearl spoke, almost from experience.

"This is a beginner class, so nothing too complicated will be achieved. Since this cruise has 8 total days of sea time, we're going to hold a class every night at varying times. They will become more difficult." Lapis said, appearing from behind Pearl. 

Both girls looked beautiful, but Peridot preferred Lapis - not just because Amethyst was involved with Pearl. Lapis wore a floor-length deep blue gown, with beautiful silver shoes which could be seen at different points. The dress had a slit, quite high up, and Peridot hoped she didn't make any sudden movements. Her long legs could be seen, a natural tan. Her hair was wavy, freshly washed, with a pretty pink flower tucked behind her ear and she looked a lot better from when Peridot saw her previously. Her eyes had a sparkly gold colour painted on, which perfectly complimented her honey-brown skin. The gown sat on her shoulders, strapless and it hugged her soft curves perfectly. Peridot didn't think she could look more beautiful in anything else. Except maybe if she was wearing nothing. The thought made Peridot blush bright red. 

Pearl wore a pink gown, a halterneck, which also reached the gown. Pearl was taller and skinny, but her legs were long and beautiful. Her dress was more flowing and less tight, and her strawberry blonde bob was pretty much exactly the same, except a green clip held a strand back. Peridot didn't admire her too much since Amethyst was near.

"Right! Let's get started, we're going to teach a very simple box step. Then we're going to move onto some more complicated steps. Partner up!" Pearl shouted excitedly.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to try to stick to a bit of a schedule for uploads and that's going to be every Friday. It'll start from next week, so this upload counts for this weeks. Friday is the only day I'm not busy with rehearsals and other school work and I have the weekend to do other things like homework, but if anything school-related comes in the way, unfortunately, I'll have to upload on a later date as school is always my no.1 priority but I'm super excited for updates with this story!! there will be no specific time and I'll try my best to upload twice for you guys weekly, but I want to write when it feels right, so I'll most likely write as the week goes on and just upload it Friday  
> <3  
> ps. this isn't the end of the dance class! It will continue next chapter ;)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peridot learns how to dance, even though she'd rather just watch the teacher.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEY firstly  
> thank you all for the support with the hilarious and supportive comments. i know many people say it, but your feedback means the entire world to me. without you guys i wouldn't want to write as often as i do, because i love to see your reactions and possible suggestions. despite the small growth of this fic, i really hope that you guys will continue to read on because you are all such lovely people and you deserve the gay ! ALL OF U, and it is comin trust me  
> <3 hope you enjoy, as always constructive criticism, kudos, comments, bookmarks, etc are all greatly appreciated  
> ps. i respond to all comments!!! your kind words make me smile like a madwoman and so i would like to individually let all of u know how thankful i am that you took the time to read this mess of a fic, and write lovely comments  
> ya basically just let me know if u liked it xo

 

"Right! Let's get started, we're going to teach a very simple box step. Then we're going to move onto some more complicated steps. Partner up!" Pearl shouted excitedly.

Peridot continued to smile, despite the fact that Pearl's words went right over her head. She might as well have been speaking Russian since Peridot had absolutely no idea what all these moves meant. She thought a box was something your online orders arrived in, not a dance step.

The lights in the hall were dim - presumably to replicate mood lighting that the ship didn't have enough money for. They'd been sailing for quite some time - the staff eagerly informing families, particularly children, about where they were. Surprisingly, Peridot was somewhat excited to see what the class offered - or, rather, to be able to stare at Lapis and for it to be perceived as normal. Even though she'd eaten a huge, unhealthy serving of food, she knew that she probably wouldn't be doing that much dancing. Unless she ended up actually being good at whatever a box step was.

"Peri!" Aquamarine shouted, grabbing her hand softly, breaking Peridot out of her hilariously unfunny thought process. It then dawned on her, that despite Peridot's height - or lack of it - Aqua was also a tiny girl, there was at least a whole foot of difference between them, considering the gap in age. Despite Peridot's sudden unwillingness and her regret for attending this class purely to see Lapis, she thought that if she was going to make a fool out of herself - she might as well do it while making her sister happy.

"I don't really know how we're going to dance, I mean, I'm small but so are you." Peridot laughed, but Aqua was fixated on dancing with her no matter what, continuing to cling onto her hand for dear life. Peridot realised any attempt to convince her sister otherwise was pointless.

"Okay. So a box step is named after the shape it creates on the floor - a box. This is a waltz move, and if you've ever seen any movies with dancing in them - it's likely you've seen this step many times." Pearl stated, standing in front of Lapis. 

"Alright. Stand up straight - this works best if you and your partner are of similar heights, but if not, then that's okay." Lapis smiled, looking into Pearl's eyes. She seemed to be in her element, and Peridot was glad she seemed a lot happier than she was earlier. Peridot could tell just from the way she stood that both girls were going to be unbelievably great dancers, but unfortunately not even the most talented teacher would be able to teach Peridot with her two left feet.

"Okay, so I'm going to lead Pearl. The leader is generally the man, or whoever is the tallest, but that doesn't really matter." 

"The leader should hold their arm up, their elbow at almost at a right angle - with their hand near about their partner's eye level. And you hold your partner. It sounds confusing, but it's just like this." Lapis demonstrated,  holding Pearl while she held her hand and did the opposite, her hand resting on Lapis' right arm. 

The crowd began to copy this position, however, there weren't many people dancing with their little siblings - so Peridot and Aquamarine were the only ones struggling greatly. Lapis noticed this while scanning the room and since Peridot was quite near the front of the stage, she broke the position quickly to signal that she'd come over in a minute, presumably to tell them they'd need to have partners of similar heights. She quickly whispered something to Pearl, who nodded and stepped back, while Lapis made her way over to Peridot and her sister.

Lapis held her deep blue gown with her hands, and Peridot noticed a silver bracelet with a gemstone on it. From the first glance, it looked blue and shaped like a teardrop, then Peridot realised - it was a lapis lazuli. Somehow, this detail made Peridot feel like swooning.

"Hi! I noticed you're struggling. It's quite hard to do this with two very different heights - so is it okay if I find you a partner who's a little smaller?" Lapis gently said to Aqua, who nodded enthusiastically, causing Lapis to chuckle and turn around to find someone else. Within moments, Lapis had found a small blonde boy wearing glasses and a tiny little suit to dance with Aquamarine. Despite being somewhat disappointed, Aqua and the little boy were undeniably cute together. Peridot wandered away from the dancefloor to sit down - she'd have to miss the classes since she didn't really feel like dancing with someone random. Then a melodic voice called after her, surprising her completely.

"Hey, Peridot!" Lapis shouted. She'd remembered Peridot's name. Then Peridot remembered, it was just a formality. Lapis was trying to make sure that Peridot would tell her parents how lovely the staff were, so they'd inevitably come on another trip and spend their hard-earned money. Nothing more. But for some reason, it still made Peridot's heart beat irregularly.

Peridot quickly turned around to find Lapis waiting for her, holding out a tanned hand.

"I don't have a dance partner!" Peridot shouted over the noise while Pearl chatted to the guests waiting, many turning their attention to the dance instructor who had abruptly left the stage.

"Come dance with me!" Lapis smiled, and it seemed genuine. But Peridot knew it was only because she was a guest. Nothing more. Just a formality. 

"I-I don't know how to, though," Peridot said, edging closer. Lapis was this beautiful, amazing dancer (or so Peridot assumed) but Peridot didn't even know _what a box step was_. And she was pretty sure Pearl said it was the starting point for the waltz. Peridot struggled to walk down the stairs without almost breaking her neck - how was she going to dance? Falling over and presumably face-planting in front of so many people would be enough to haunt her at night for the next 5 years - but the fact that it was in front of such a pretty girl only made it worse.

"Well, I'm a teacher, it's my job to teach you." she chuckled softly. Peridot realised that if Jasper was anywhere nearby and they danced together, that Peridot probably wouldn't hear the end of it. She also didn't want Lapis to have to deal with that - but despite the looming danger, she found herself wanting to risk it and get to know Lapis.

"Are you coming or not?" Lapis said, teasing playfully, but there wasn't any sign of annoyance in her voice at all. Lapis' eyebrow was raised, her hand resting on her pretty hip with the other beckoning Peridot. And before Peridot could even think - just because she wanted to know the feeling of her hand - she grabbed it, which caused Lapis' face to light up entirely. 

"Phew. I was worried you were just gonna leave me there like some sort of loser, or something," Lapis giggled, her hand still intertwined with Peridot's as she led her to an empty part of the stage. Pearl was now stood with another girl, a tall, pretty brunette as they held the same position Lapis and her were in before she joined Peridot.

"I'm pretty sure I would've looked like the loser for not taking the opportunity to dance with you," Peridot mumbled, making Lapis scoff and roll her eyes dramatically - but a shy smile made its way to her face, much to Lapis' dismay. 

"So, have you got any experience with dancing at all?" Lapis asked, turning to face the smaller girl. Now it was Peridot's time to laugh.

"No, not unless you count Just Dance with my sister," she said awkwardly, hoping Lapis wouldn't think she was the lamest person ever and regret offering to dance with her.

"Yes, I do count that. Very impressive," Lapis grinned. "Was that your sister you were trying to dance with? She's really cute." 

"Yeah, she is, and she's lucky that she is so cute. She always puts me in the worst situations ever." Peridot said, finding herself grinning madly too. Just the presence and witty banter were enough to send her swooning. Lapis then repeated the same position she displayed before - with her leading Peridot.

"I bet, but hey, what are little sisters for? I wish I had a little sister. I only have an older sister and two younger brothers - and they're actually the worst sometimes. I miss them a lot, though," Lapis spoke with a slight hint of sadness - and Peridot was surprised about how much she was sharing with a complete stranger.

"I'll teach you separate, newbie, Pearl's known for going pretty fast. She's been dancing ever since she was out of diapers, so she's been practising these things for pretty much her entire life. I've only been dancing here and there for, like, 7 years - but never anything competitively. Pearl's won a ton of awards." Lapis said, before beginning to show Peridot what to do next.

"Alright so, it's super hard to explain - so I'll just show you," Lapis spoke, before beginning to move forward on her left foot, sideways on her right, and then closing her feet together - then continuing to repeat this in the opposite way. Peridot was confused from the moment Lapis' feet began to move.

"Agh, maybe Pearl would've been better for teaching you. I kinda don't get how to explain it - I'm better at just doing it." Lapis spoke, seeming embarrassed. Peridot realised she liked Lapis much better when she was confident.

"No, I'm just a terrible dancer, you're a really great teacher," Peridot reassured her. "Shall we start again?"

 "Sure. Hey, wait, let me try something. Do you remember the steps?" Lapis asked, seeming to have a solution for Peridot's poor ability.

"Um, yeah, it's just confusing about what foot, and everything," Peridot explained, embarrassed that somehow her sister was getting it perfectly and she wasn't.

"Okay, good. Just remember it's the count of 3, and mirror me," Lapis spoke carefully, her gaze locking with her partner's. "So, Peridot, tell me. Where are you from?"

It was safe to say Peridot was confused about the sudden switch of subject - wasn't Lapis meant to be teaching her, not chatting? Despite this, Peridot was eager to learn more about Lapis - so she answered anyway.

"Well, I'm originally from Vermont, but my family's moved a lot for my parents' work. I've been living in California for the last few months, though. Which state were you born in?" Peridot asked.

"I’m actually from Hawaii - a little town called Pupukea. I've only been living in Cali for work, but I visit back whenever I can. I'd always wanted to be a tour guide - I'm from the place so I know all the secrets. But then I wanted something which would incorporate something I loved - so I took this entertainer job, and then I work the dance classes for free." Lapis spoke confidently, and Peridot was so enthralled with what she was saying that she didn't actually notice she was beginning to move in sync with Lapis perfectly.

"That's so awesome. Does your family live in Hawaii?" Peridot wondered, and Lapis now was even more perfect in Peridot's eyes. Of course, she was Hawaiian! She was gorgeously tanned - not even California could tan someone that much unless you were wearing some of that god-awful spray tan.

"Yeah. My mom lives there, and my eldest sister, Leilani, has to stay there too. My mom's sick, so she has to have care all of the time. And then my brothers are there too, but they're not old enough to leave. Whenever I go, we always go swimming in the beaches near to our house. Even after 18 years, they never get boring." Lapis smiled, reminiscing wistfully, and even though Lapis had only mentioned her mother was sick, Peridot still felt like there was more to it.

"That sounds really fun. Is Hawaii as beautiful as they say in all the movies and stuff?" Peridot wondered - fixated on Lapis' eyes. It was cheesy, but it felt like she was literally getting lost in them.

"It is really pretty, yeah, but it's all I've ever known, so I guess I can't compare it to much," Lapis laughed, her hand feeling angelic and warm (and every other positive adjective) in Peridot's.

"That's really cool. My mom's been wanting to come forever - I guess my dad finally gave in," Peridot laughed - remembering moments of her mom pleading saying 'the girls really want to go!' when Peridot was perfectly content at home during the summer on her consoles and Aquamarine thought Hawaii was some sort of drink. 

"I think everyone wants to visit. I understand about your dad though, it's pretty but so expensive. Do you travel a lot with your family?" Lapis spoke kindly, her hand intertwined with the smaller's beginning to feel like second nature.

"Yeah. We usually go on vacation annually, and in the last two years, we've been to India and Egypt. My mom is a minimalist, our house is pretty much empty except for the necessities - not counting mine and my sister's rooms. She thinks experiences are more valuable than actual items." Peridot muttered, knowing she might be showing off, but feeling comfortable enough to not really mind too much.

"I totally get what she means. I'd love to have gone travelling when I was younger, even now. My sister and I are the only ones who provide for my house right now, though, so we can't really go anywhere. But that's fine, I love Hawaii." Lapis spoke, seeming sad but covering it with a facade of happiness - and not a very good one.

"My parents said they thought you were lovely, and they're huge softies, so if you asked they'd probably let you tag along on our vacations." Peridot laughed, and strangely, she didn't mind the idea of Lapis travelling with her. Even though it was unbelievably impossible - she knew Lapis' face would light up with enjoyment as they saw the beauties of the world that she'd only ever seen through a laptop or phone screen before. "We could swim every day!"

"I haven't swum in the longest time - I always used to with my dad," Lapis said, and Peridot was stupid so she couldn't put her finger on what Lapis' emotion was at that moment.

"Well, your dad can come too!" Peridot blurted, letting a laugh escape, but quickly silencing it when she realised Lapis wasn't laughing.

"Um, my dad. He died a few months ago," Lapis replied briefly.

"Oh my stars, I'm so sorry. I'm an actual idiot-" Peridot said, wishing she could faceplant but her hands were occupied with the girl she'd just upset. Wonderful.

"It's alright. That's just life, isn't it?" Lapis smiled softly, and Peridot wondered how a person could still be so kind and professional after being reminded of something as painful as her dad's death.

"No, I'm horrible. You don't have to be nice about it, oh god-" Peridot panicked, ashamed of herself. She'd ruined what could've been an actual, budding friendship.

"Peridot," Lapis whispered softly, but she didn't seem angry.

"Yes?" 

"You're dancing." Lapis grinned.

"Oh my god! Lapis, you're amazing. I didn't even realise!" Peridot was shocked, to say the least, and she'd broken out of the stance with Lapis.

"Why thank you," she said, taking a bow. Peridot tried her best to not stare at her chest as it was very revealed by the motion.

"I can dance!" Peridot squealed, making Lapis chuckle softly. 

"But that's only a box step. It's good that you've grasped it, but there's more to dancing than that," Lapis laughed. "And the class is over soon. I have an hour before I'm meant to be in the cabin. We're not really supposed to have passengers in the staff areas, but if you're allowed - you can stay for a while?"

"Oh, um, sure! If you're okay with it. I'll text my parents and let them know." Peridot replied, immediately taking out her phone from her pocket, and texted her parents quickly, as Lapis waited, still smiling.

* * *

The lights in the staff area were bright, the bar still being tended by Amethyst - many were people sitting on small couches, laughing, talking and getting tipsy. Peridot was nervous, to say the least. The staff all raised their eyebrows when she walked in, hand-in-hand with Lapis. It might be normal for some of the staff to hook up with hot passengers, but Peridot looked nerdy and awkward.

"Oh, you! You're the girl who ordered all those drinks earlier!" Amethyst shouted, and winked at Lapis.

"So you finally ended things with Jasper, then?" A girl wearing very large hoop-earrings came over and whispered to Lapis.

"No! I'm just giving her dance lessons. Jeez, you guys! Where's Pearl? I need to tell her about it so she doesn't go batshit on me when she finds out," Lapis laughed, and Peridot noticed she didn't like hearing Lapis' voice curse. It didn't sound right.

"Someone tell her for me!" Lapis shouted, making her way into a large dining-room style area next to the bar, still holding Peridot's hand.

* * *

 

After a while, the girls fell into a steady rhythm. Not just with the dancing - but with interacting, and especially with laughing. They'd managed to perfect the box step, and were moving onto a 'natural turn', to which Peridot wanted to lead. After they'd managed to do it averagely (Lapis said they'd work on it later), they were sat on the wooden floor, laughing as Lapis told a story of how Amethyst and Pearl ended up together. Lapis' makeup was mostly gone, due to the sheer amount of dancing - Peridot was surprised she hadn't died yet. Peridot was tired and had turned to laying down on the floor beside Lapis. It was safe to say it'd been far longer than an hour. Their time spent together was soon interrupted.

"Lapis! What on earth do you think you're doing? It's 11, why are you both in here!?" Pearl shrieked, a furious look on her face.

"Whoops." Was all Lapis could think to say.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> describing dancing is so hard man u dont even understand  
> im sorry this chapter is out a day late from what i said, im changing the day to SATURDAY as i have more time on those days  
> also sorry this chapter seems rushed & somewhat short, it actually took me forever because i lost around1,000 words or somethin due to my computer restarting. 3. times. :) but we got there in the end!!!!!!!  
> im also trying to learn how to play chess for my maths homework and its complicated guys  
> i needed to write this and get it out of the way because next chapter should be a nice long juicy one!!!!! ok i dont know why i said juicy thats just weird  
> P.S. this chapter was rewritten A TON so if anything is off (like me saying hawaii isnt a part of the US LOOOL) please let me know  
> <3


	4. NOT A CHAPTER

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sorry

HEY so i'm sorry to disappoint, but yea this isn't a chapter! basically i wanted to sort of come in and say hi (this will be deleted when the new chapter is released) and sort of give some clarity. i haven't abandoned this story just yet! i am still writing chapter 4, and i want it to be a good one for you guys so its only really 1/4 done

as much as i hate to just have random uploads, it seems like schedules are just too stressful for me atm, so from now til around christmas/the new year its likely that chapters will come out randomly, basically just whenever they're done tbh. there will at LEAST be a chapter every two weeks, probably more than this, but you won't be waiting ages. sometimes it's just hard to release them every saturday, or sunday, or monday for example because not every week is the same for me. school is kicking my butt rn and its hard to find time to release them, and sometimes theyre not done in time so i have to rush them. and i dont want to keep changing or swapping the days when i need an extra two days for example. its much easier this way. so yea you'll have to keep a look out for new chapters and chapter 4 should hopefully be up by next week sometime!!!!! its also more helpful due to the fact i can use extra days to think where the story is going instead of just making it up as i go along. so apologies if you guys thought this was a new chapter, or you were excited for a new one, but adkdfjgfldkgl; things are hard at the moment but i still wanna keep updating this story as much as possible.   
  


<3


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